Class Yearbooks. They usually seem SO important in the moment, and then that importance tends to fade over time. Remember literally hanging on every single word when reading the inscriptions added by some of your friends? One that has always stuck with me was, “Stay cool this Summer and never change.”
Time can do that to a person. It can change us, hopefully for the better. Some things we probably hope won’t change. The best parts of us, that is.
It’s that way with my friend Cathie. May the best parts of her always be a blessing to those around her. It’s been 20 years since I met her and we had the privilege of working together for 3 1/2 very formative years of my life and career. I counted on her to keep me grounded, be honest with me (even if it was bad news), provide a fresh perspective, and search for a sense of humor in every circumstance. She never let me down, always exceeded my expectations, tolerated my…”personality” (read hyperactivity in and around the office 🤦♂️), and never discouraged my creative side. Although she did question my sanity on countless occasions, when she realized that was useless she always buckled up and joined me for our next adventure together. She always “had my back”, even though sometimes she was WAY back there! I doubt that I would have been prepared for the future leadership roles that I’ve served in without our time working together.
I mention all of that to provide the proper context because Cathie is the inspiration for this series. I recently celebrated a “milestone” birthday and Cathie’s gift to me…was a scrapbook. The pages are filled with gift cards (one for each month…for a year!) and they match each of the seasons. Who does that sort of thing nowadays? Well I’ll tell you who. Someone who should, “Stay cool this Summer and never change.”
Fittingly, Cathie will be invited to participate in each of the reviews for this series over the next year and here’s hoping that you’ll follow along with us.
